


To Weather The Storm

by agere-time (tazia101)



Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: Age Regression, Beach Episode, CGLRE, F/M, Gen, Non-Sexual Age Play, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Panic Attacks, agere, cg!Tamaki, cgre, regressor!Haruhi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:34:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28944492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tazia101/pseuds/agere-time
Summary: A slight rewriting of the Beach Episode: Haruhi doesn't manage to get into the wardrobe before she collapses, and Tamaki is there to hold her. Haruhi is an age regressor, unused to being cared for. The thunder has thrown her into her youngest headspace.
Relationships: Fujioka Haruhi & Suoh Tamaki, Fujioka Haruhi/Suoh Tamaki
Comments: 6
Kudos: 88





	To Weather The Storm

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on @agere-fandom-time on tumblr. 
> 
> I use non-sexual kink tags on AO3 because they don't have a good system for tagging regression yet: I hope to popularize the agere tag by using it!

The sound of rain against the windows fills the silence as Tamaki turns, walking away from Haruhi. She refuses to explain what she’d been doing in Kyoya’s bedroom, and it really wasn’t any of Tamaki’s business. He didn’t even know why he’d asked.

The storm grumbles outside, and he hears Haruhi’s voice behind him.

“Senpai-”

The lightning flashes through the window, the room becoming bright for a split second. Tamaki hears the windows rattle with the force of the thunder, and suddenly he’s being pulled backwards by his shirt. He turns, startled, to face Haruhi.

She’s standing in front of him, in that ridiculous pink nightgown, her eyes wide and her hands shaking.

“I-” she begins, but the thunder crashes again, and she cuts herself off with a shriek, burying her face in her hands. Tamaki can see her shoulders are shaking.

“What’s wrong, Haruhi?” He reaches out a hand towards her, confused.

“It’s nothing,” Haruhi tells him, in a voice tight and frightened. She turns away, making towards the wardrobe, but just as she reaches for the handle, the lightning flashes through the room again, and he watches Haruhi crumple, both hands covering her ears.

“Haruhi!” Tamaki runs to her side, falling onto his knees. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Are you ill?” She isn’t responding, just lying there and trembling. Cautiously, Tamaki reaches out and pets her hair. “Tell me what’s wrong, please.”

Haruhi presses slightly into the touch, and Tamaki continues combing his fingers through her hair with more confidence. He still feels helpless, but at least it seems like this is helping.

“You can go,” Haruhi says. It sounds like the words hurt as she forces them through her teeth. “I don’t need your help.”

“I want to help!” Tamaki protests. “Is it the thunder? Are you scared?”

There’s a long silence, and that’s answer enough.

“I’m used to getting through stuff like this by myself,” she finally tells him, and everything snaps into place. The way she refused to ask them for help, refused to even admit she was frightened. _She’s always been alone_. _Of course she doesn’t ask for help_.

“I’m sorry,” Tamaki says. “I didn’t realize. But you’re not alone, and you don’t have to be alone.”

The lightning flashes again, the thunder rolling through the room, and before Tamaki knows what’s happening, he has a lapful of Haruhi, clinging to his neck and sobbing.

“Hush,” he comforts her, rubbing circles on her back. “Hush, I’m here. It’s okay, just a storm. It can’t hurt you in here. You’re safe.”

“I’m too small,” Haruhi whispers into Tamaki’s chest, quiet enough that he has to take a moment to make out the words.

“You’re too small?” he repeats, and Haruhi nods. “I think you’re the perfect size.” He wraps his arms a little tighter around the girl in his arms, trying to make his point.

“No,” Haruhi squirms in his grasp and he lets her go. “I’m too _small_.” She sounds frustrated that he isn’t understanding, and Tamaki is confused.

“Too small for what?”

“To be… an adult.” Haruhi drops her eyes to the floor. Her body is still shaking in Tamaki’s lap, as the rain lashes at the windows. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay!” Tamaki puts a finger under her chin, tilting her face up. He can see the tear tracks on her cheeks now, the fresh tears brimming in her eyes. “You don’t have to be an adult, Haruhi. You can be small.”

“I’m very small,” Haruhi whispers through the tears.

“And that’s okay.” Tamaki gathers her back up into his arms. “Daddy’s here, honey. I’ll take care of you forever. I’ll protect you.” He hears the storm grumble again, and Haruhi holds him tighter. “I know it’s scary, but you’re here and safe. Let me get you some headphones, okay? We can block out that thunder and you won’t have to hear it anymore.”

Tamaki doesn’t quite have the strength to get up with Haruhi in his arms, so he has to do some shifting to get up to standing, but soon Haruhi is wrapped around him like an octopus, and he’s holding her in his arms. It’s easy to grab Kyoya’s headphones and the Discman Tamaki had gotten for his birthday two years ago: he never travels without it.

He knows it’s going to be some absurd classical music, but he still pops the headphones on Haruhi’s head and presses play.

“There you go,” he murmurs to her, knowing she can’t hear him over the music. “No fear now.” Sure enough, she relaxes into his arms, blinking up at him with distant eyes. “There you are,” he smiles, wiping a thumb across her cheek to erase the evidence of tears. “All safe.”

“Daddy?” she says, one word that strikes deep into his chest.

Tamaki can feel his own eyes brim with tears, and he holds Haruhi close as the next thunder strike rumbles through the room. Haruhi flinches, but she doesn’t move aside from that, still blinking up at Tamaki peacefully.

“That’s me, Haruhi. I’m daddy.” Tamaki takes one of her hands in his, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “You’re safe.”

_(They fall asleep like that, Tamaki sitting against the headboard and Haruhi curled on his lap. The twins sneak in and take pictures, then sneak back out without waking them.)_

_(The next morning, Tamaki calls himself daddy and Haruhi scoffs at him, and everything is back to normal. But the two of them know that something has changed: that when Haruhi is scared and small, she has somewhere she can go. And she doesn’t have to be alone.)_


End file.
